Hannah Einbinder Says She’s “Horrified by the Israeli Government’s Massacre” of Palestinians: “We Should All Be Against Murdering Civilians”

Hacks star Hannah Einbinder was honored at the Human Rights Campaign‘s Los Angeles Dinner on Saturday night and used her time on stage to speak about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.

The actress received HRC’s Visibility Award for expanding LGBTQ+ representation on- and offscreen and told the crowd, “My queerness is a tradition of social justice, as is my Judaism. To me, these are traditions of humanity, of care for human life — all human life, equally.”

Visibly emotional, she continued, “As a queer person, as a Jewish person and as an American, I am horrified by the Israeli government’s massacre of well over 65,000 Palestinians in Gaza. I am ashamed and infuriated that this mass murder is funded by our American tax dollars. It should not be controversial to say that we should all be against murdering civilians.”

Einbinder said that her “condemnation of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza” is not despite what she learned in Hebrew school but because of it. “I love being Jewish and I am so proud of my tradition. I was taught that central to being a Jew is asking questions, being inquisitive, arguing, wrestling with opposing points of view, questioning my own beliefs in order to keep learning and growing into a better human being, a better citizen of the world,” she noted. “I see it as antithetical to our deepest Jewish traditions to fall in line and not question the actions of a state enacting atrocities in our name. Israel’s actions are not in the name of Jewish safety and it is the very conflation of Israel’s actions with the Jewish people that continues to endanger Jews.”

The star then referenced Mahmoud Khalil, the prominent Palestinian activist who was arrested and detained earlier this month for his advocacy at Columbia University.

“Mahmoud Khalil standing alongside both Palestinians and many Jewish students, calling for the Israeli army to stop dropping bombs on his homeland, does not make me feel unsafe,” she added. “Elon Musk and Steve Bannon heiling Hitler does. Donald Trump calling a group of white nationalists with Tiki torches shouting, ‘Jews will not replace us’ ‘very fine people’ does.”

Einbinder concluded, “Our struggles for liberation will be won by loudly opposing the corporations who fuel the destruction of our planet and the institutions that fuel mass death of our fellow human beings. Visibility is a responsibility. Those of us who have a platform must use our voices to ensure that speaking out is not outlawed altogether.”

The event, held at Fairmont Century Plaza, also honored Janelle Monáe and Emily in Paris‘ Ashley Park, with a performance by David Archuleta.